Just Released: Attendance & Breakfast policy brief

09.20.2017 by Anna Colby

09.20.2017 Attendance at school is essential for academic success. Yet, over one in nine students are chronically absent in California. Chronic absenteeism is an equity issue, disproportionately affecting students of color, low-income students, and other vulnerable student groups. These students often face barriers at school (e.g. unjust discipline practices) or getting to school (e.g. unreliable transportation).

While chronic absenteeism is an indicator of broader challenges in children’s lives, schools and districts can take action to improve student attendance! Eating school breakfast increases student attendance by an average of 1.5 days of school per year. Yet, two million low-income California kids are missing out on the benefits of school breakfast! Reaching these kids could result in big attendance gains for the state. And these attendance gains would result in millions of dollars of additional funding that districts could invest back into the classroom.

CFPA’s School Breakfast: Reducing Chronic Absenteeism & Supporting Student Success policy brief (PDF) outlines best practices for reaching children with school breakfast and recommendations for policymakers on supporting student nutrition to increase attendance.